Marketplace All-in-One One wild year of Trump's tariffs
Apr 2, 2026
Will Sissel, co-owner of Sissel & Daughters cheesemonger in Portland, ME, and Justine Kahn, founder of Botnia Skincare in Sausalito, CA, talk about navigating tariffs a year on. They describe surprise cost hits from imported packaging and oils. They explain supplier shifts, pricing tradeoffs, staff and morale impacts, and how transparency and local sourcing helped weather the chaos.
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Made In USA Business Hit By Imported Input Costs
- Justine Kahn builds 100% of Botnia Skincare in the U.S. yet still faced major cost hikes from imported inputs and packaging.
- Aluminum packaging and certain essential oils became tens of thousands of dollars more expensive, forcing reconsideration of sustainable packaging choices.
Review Packaging Origins And Visit Suppliers In Person
- Review your supply chain and packaging origins to identify tariff exposure and alternatives.
- Justine visited a Los Angeles packaging show to evaluate materials and manufacturers and is actively exploring non-aluminum options.
Small Business Owners Eating Tariff Costs
- Botnia absorbed costs instead of immediately passing them to customers to protect growth and customer trust.
- That decision cost tens of thousands in packaging and ingredient expenses and constrained hiring and owner salary.